Thanks for replies!
TM does backup the entire drive so is in effect a clone of the internal drive and it can be used to do a full restore, including the OS, apps, and all data and settings.
So TM backup can be also used as full restore to make OS exactly 1:1 as it was? Damn. I already reformatted that USB-drive before I saw your last post thinking it would not be full 1:1 image of my original hdd anyway (I got that impression from previous messages).
Anyway, I guess it does not matter since I got it back up and running even I wiped internal hdd and did internet based restore. I think I got pretty much everything installed what came with factory preinstalled OS but I still wonder what causes that I have now almost 10GB more free space? I know cache and all kind of garbage that gets collected in time eats hdd space but that was not the case here as it was brand new computer with just couple days use and hdd space did not much change during that from what it was after initial factory preinstalled OS setup other than some latest OS update downloaded and installed automatically (update that brought display brightness bump from 300 to 400 nits).
Any ideas what else than basic OS and "office apps" + GarageBand come with preinstalled OS. I added latter ones from App Store but am I still missing some programs or drivers?
If you want your TM backup encrypted, it is much faster to format the external drive to encrypted before using it with TM.
Thanks for confirming that. I had a hunch that might be the best approach in this case since I'll be starting with empty USB-drive anyway.
On the system drive, you do not want to format to encrypted. Just do a regular format the turn on FileVault afterwards.
Thanks, that is good to know. Any possible side effects from FileVault for performance or general reliability (I mean it is common to end up with corrupted more or less inaccessible drive, or is it simply robust?
Does FileVault usually cause long delay while it is encrypting data?
I get the feeling all this was a side point: The main point is you did all this because you're having an issue with your GPU and you were hoping a clean install would fix it, but it didn't.
Yes, you feeling is almost spot on. Issue with GPU was the final thing that drove me to do clean installation but I would have done that probably in any case as I explained earlier that this is my first Mac OS device and I've been learning to use it and tested all kind of things but not even logged to much any services that Apple offers (iCloud, FaceTime and so on) during initial setup. So after I got hang of the OS logic and have some understanding what I will do with the machine in the future, I wanted to setup up the fresh system from the beginning.
Anyway, I may have a clue what gives. I'll post my findings later on when I have verified that few times. I posted description and photos of this problem in another thread:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/2018-air-screen-10-14-5.2181179/
I will add my latest finding there soon also. I have a hunch it is likely not just faulty panel but it has something to do with profiles or the way panel is "calibrated". It looks a bit like panel that has been pushed over what it is naturally capable of displaying. That's why I'm interested to learn IF these panels are someway individually adjusted and what kind of method is used and where it has been stored in case such is even used.
I'd consider making a genius bar appointment. I'm quick to point out Apple's faults, but the quality of their screens has always been top notch. If you see a noticeable visual issue, it's worth checking for a GPU problem.
No genius bars where I live. Only Apple phone support and repair centers but I have little faith on help those can provide in this kind of issue. Luckily I'm still within return window (I bough from shop with very long return period), so in case this turn out to be a faulty machine, I rather just take it back for refund than play lottery with service center.
You keep assuming that there must be a unit-specific calibration of the display that is stored somewhere on the HD. There is not. This has been stated several times now, by several individuals.
Whatever you think is likely or unlikely is besides the point. Whatever approach is used, it is not stored as a configuration file somewhere on the HD.
Maybe it is so as you keep saying. I'm just wondering that since they are able to even increase panel brightness by OS update (like Air 2018 got 300 to 400 nits) it obviously contain some data whether it is a driver or firmware update kind of thing they upload during setup so that they are able to control display hardware. You could upload correction tables for colors too to calibrate display.
My understanding is that the display manufacturer is obligated to deliver displays that meet Apple's specifications. If there is any sort of calibration process necessary to do that, the calibration data would be stored within the display module. Far more likely is that the manufacturing process is designed to meet tolerances, and those displays that fail the tests are rejected.
Maybe so, but obviously no one seems to know that for sure if, how or where possible calibration is saved. Or are these calibrated at all. Based on tests panels seem pretty much all calibrated the same way in each model, so hard to believe they just slap in a panel without adjusting them in any way. It would likely be very costly binning if only certain panels with correct colors/gray scale would be accepted.
One thing I'm quite confident of - these are not the kind of "calibrated" displays a graphic arts or video producer might require. That kind of calibration requires separate software and a measuring device, and is done periodically over the life of the display because stuff changes over time. Those profiles are stored on HD, because they're not done by the
manufacturer.
I know that they are not maybe pro video displays but they are one of the most accurate displays out there and I find it hard to believe it could be done by just slapping in panels straight out of productions line without individually adjusting them in any way.
I know individual calibration is well doable these days even on mass production without adding much cost.
For example Dell sells many display models that come individually factory calibrated and they each even come with calibration report. I have one of those Dell IPS models on my desk and it is very well calibrated an it was not expensive display at all and not much difference to similar non calibrated displays from other brands.
